Xenosaga I
Xenosaga I & II is a retelling of Episode I and Episode II for the Nintendo DS. It was exclusively released in Japan on March 30, 2006 and has never received an English translation or even a fan translation, much to fan chagrin. The game's script (with ideas from Tetsuya Takahashi) is by Yuichiro Takeda, who worked on Xenosaga: The Animation. Hiroshi Takeuchi, of Cowboy Bebop fame, is responsible for the character art. Music for the game was composed by Kousuke Yamashita, who scored the soundtrack for Xenosaga: The Animation. Other previous work includes the Hana Yori Dango and Mahou Sentai Majirenjaa Tabidate live-action television series and Nobunaga's Ambition video game series. Yamashita is the fourth composer to score a Xenosaga video game, following Yasunori Mitsuda, Yuki Kajiura and Shinji Hosoe. Xenosaga I & II is not an exact retelling of the previous two games. Some major changes have been made to the storyline of the game without changing the pre-existing elements the first games have already laid out. Some scenarios have been edited and some new but minor characters have been included in these new parts. The Episode II portion of the game, originally told through Jr.'s perspective, focuses on Shion, much like Episode I and Episode III. The Episode II portion of the game has been completely rewritten by Xenosaga creator Tetsuya Takahashi, which expands and enhances the storyline. This fills in some of the holes caused by Episode II, allowing for a better understanding of the plot and reducing the amount of questions that will be unanswered in Episode III. Gameplay The game plays out on the DS' top screen from an isometric perspective while the bottom touch screen is used to issue commands and navigate menus. The game's battle mechanics follow the style of Episode I as opposed to Episode II. Changes and differences *Note: This is an incomplete list. ''Xenosaga Episode I'' *A Realian named Alex accompanies Shion and KOS-MOS through KOS-MOS' training simulator. Luis Virgil also appears in the training simulator. *Ziggy's rescue mission on Pleroma and Andrew Cherenkov's past are not played through the main story, instead they are unlocked as side content after certain criteria have been met. *Pierre Ruryk is an added character who works as a influential member of the Salvator Faction within the Federation Government, He replaces one of the non-named Committee members. He helps out Jr. and Gaignun when the Federation turns on the Kukai Foundation, leading both to wonder if he might be aware of their true identities. *Patriarch Sergius XVII now appears in Episode I, also replacing one of the non-named Parliament members. He argues with Ruryk over who should have control of the Zohar Emulators. *Hermann and Richard are encountered twice and fought as bosses during different points of the game. Hermann recognizes the Elsa and makes a passing statement about Captain Matthews. *The vision of U-DO's revival in the Encephalon Dive now shows the Omega System breaking out of Militia. *After the battle with Albedo Piazzolla in his E.S. Simeon, the scene switches to Albedo preparing to destroy the whole party with a missle swarm when E.S. Asher appears, piloted by Canaan, and fights off Albedo while the party escapes. Their ensuing battle causes a Anima Resonating while the party heads to the 2nd floor and battles Sophie Peithos. *The Song of Nephilim and Proto Merkabah have been combined into one dungeon. *MOMO's wand has been replaced with the bow she would receive in Episode II. ''Xenosaga Episode II'' *The party retains their Episode I designs, except for KOS-MOS. *Orgulla no longer appears and has been written out of the story. *The car chase sequence on Second Militia has been removed. *Richard and Hermann claim to be using the power of the Anima of Gad and Joseph but the game still shows their normal A.M.W.S. units Pilum and Scutum for the boss battle. *Canaan appears to lead the party to safety while Shion and KOS-MOS stay behind to face Richard and Hermann. Ziggy remarks that Canaan seems familiar to him but wonders if its a ghost memory from his former life. *After retrieving E.S. Asher, Wilhelm dispatches Miyuki Itsumi in the E.S. Zebulun to help the party fight off the U-TIC. *Allen Ridgeley gets a substory about the first time he met Shion after transferring to First Division. *The prologue to Episode II where Canaan, chaos and Jin all first meet during the Miltian Conflict is a substory. *Jr. investigating the Woglinde and U-TIC Ship is also a substory unlocked in the Episode II portion of the game. *Citrine plays a larger if still minor role in the U.R.T.V. flashback where she explains why she exists and why there are few female U.R.T.V. units. She also participates in the Encephalon dives into Sakura Mizrahi's mind. *Sakura dies during the training mission while Rubedo and the others face off with the U-DO infected U.R.T.V. units. It is heavily implied that Albedo is the cause of her death. The Winter Domain dungeon is removed and replaced. *The U.R.T.V. flashback continues to their deployment into Second Militia and their failed attempt to destroy U-DO when Jr. severs their link to each other. During this segment, Citrine is shown to be with them but is too weak to be useful for the link and collapses. Nigredo realizes he has no anti-U-DO link and realizes his true purpose. The scene of Albedo getting infected by U-DO and Rubedo and Nigredo's attempts to help him are fully shown. At this point the party actually faces Albedo like they did at the end of the Flashback. *After Albedo unlocks the way to Old Miltia, there is a scene where Citrine summons Gaignun back to Fifth Jerusalem. *The Kirschwassers receive a substory which explains how they met Albedo on Old Miltia after he collapses from his battle with Nigredo where Albedo comments about how he knows what Nigredo's true purpose is. The Kirschwassers launch the Song of Nephilim into orbit before it was sealed up by Joachim Mizrahi. Only after they escape do they realize Albdeo is still on board unconscious. When he wakes he freaks out because he mistakes them for Sakura and he switches back and forth between rage and fear. They try to console Albedo who begs them to live Rubedo's sake and thus they begin to feel that Albedo may give them a reason to exist beyond serving as the protoypes for MOMO Mizrahi. *Another substory tells how Shion met Kevin when she first joined First Division. *Yuriev and Citrine have a conversation at the capital before Gaignun reclaims control and starts wondering where he is. Citrine explains to him that he is Yuriev's new body. *Wilhem explains that the Vessels of Anima are connected to chaos and wonders if chaos will finally start getting involved in what is happening. *After Old Miltia is unlocked, Second Militia is invaded by the Gnosis and the party has to fend them off before they can go after Albedo. *The Testaments have a conversation with each other where they are laying out a plan to intercept the three groups heading to Old Miltia. The Black Testament speaks for the first time to the amazement of Blue Testament. the Red Testeament and Blue testaments argue over which of them will intercept Shion's group. In the end, the Blue Testament intercepts Shion's party, the Red Testament intercepts Albedo, and the Black Testament intercepts Hermann and Richard who are following Shion's group. Their discussion also briefly sheds some light on chaos and who he really is. *The party still runs into Vanderkam, but instead of fighting him while he is in the old star ship, he instead pilots the Proto Dora from Episode I. *The party has a boss battle against the Blue Testament's E.S. Naphtali. *The party encounters Pope Sergius XVII and Pellegri in the Zohar room. Along with a few additional scenes with Margulis and Canaan. There is a boss battle with Pellegri while she pilots the E.S. Issachar. *After Proto Omega's revival, the scenes of the other two Testaments dealing with Albedo, Hermann, and Richard are shown. *Instead of facing off against Pope Sergius XVII in the Omega System, the party faces off against Proto Omega itself in an E.S. battle using all three E.S. units. *The whole party journeys with Jr. to the Time-Space Anomaly which is now a proper dungeon. E.S. Simeon is fought again as a boss and Albedo himself is now a real boss battle that the party can lose to. *The truth about Sakura's death is revealed to Jr. which shows that she sacrificed herself to save Albedo. *There are additional scenes in the ending like a conversation between Margulis and a shadowy figure that may be Heinlein. External links * Website * Unofficial English translation * Sprites (Spriters Resource) * Sprites * Sprites Gallery DSguide.jpg|Guide. Xenosaga cover.png|Art. 2077620-ds_xenosaga12_gp_ds1_033106.jpg|Battle screen. xenosaga12ds_004-large.jpg|Battle screen showing both DS screens. SimulatorDS.png|Shion and KOS-MOS inside the training simulator. xenosaga1-2059.jpg|Cutscene. xenosaga-i-ii-1.jpg|Dialogue scene. ShiKosDS.jpg|Shion and KOS-MOS. FebDS.png|Febronia. KOSwakeup.png|KOS-MOS activates. BettyDS.png|Betty. Scene15.png|Kevin, Shion and Allen look at the KOS-MOS Archetype. KevD1.png|KOS-MOS kills Kevin. Scene16.png|Shion destroys the KOS-MOS Archetype. KevD2.png|Kevin dies. KevD3.png|Shion and Allen visit Kevin's grave. Kiss.png|Sakura kisses Rubedo. Scene48.png|Shion and KOS-MOS. Category:Series installments